THE NOBLE ART OF BACKING WINNERS 2O3 



next two races, and then took ;^i6oo to 

 ;^400 on a certain horse in a steeplechase. 

 Mr. George Lambton was on the favourite, 

 a six to four chance, and after it fell, the 

 far side against the railway gates, they 

 shouted ten to one on my gee. There 

 were only two at all in it, mine going strong 

 and well, and the other in distress, so 

 much so, in fact, that his heart misgave 

 him as they neared the last fence, and 

 he swerved right across into mine, and 

 down they both came a cropper; mean- 

 while one of the rank outsiders came up 

 from behind, and got the race. That 

 swerve cost me ;^2000, and as I walked 

 over Waterloo Bridge that night I should 

 have taken very little persuading to drown 

 my sorrows in old Father Thames. I 

 had only just entered the grinding mill 

 then, though, but haven't I just been 

 through it again and again since then! 



